P a t r i o t P r e s s , P a g e 1

N O V 2 0 11

My Black Friday adventure A precise play-by-play of what occurred during my experience of partaking in Black Friday

Thanks to the Perfect Sacrifice Remembering Christ’s sacrifice for man daily by David B, senior

G od is unfair. He has not given mankind

what he truly deserves — Hell.

“He hath not dealt with us after our sins;

nor rewarded us according to our iniqui-

ties,” (Psalm 103:10).

If there is one truth that we, as Chris-

tians, should understand about the Bible, it

is that Christ has shown us mercy.

“Mercy is God not giving us the punish-

ment which we deserve,” said Bro. Barr,

youth minister at FBT.

The Bible says: “All have sinned and

come short of the glory of God” (Romans

3:23). This means that we deserve separa-

tion from a perfect God, but Christ has giv-

en us a ticket to heaven.

What we must understand about heaven

and Christ’s sacrifice is that, as sinners, none

of us deserves heaven. We deserve to fall

into hell for an eternity, but Christ sacrificed

Himself.

The Bible describes us as “Enemies of

God” and “Children of wrath.” This is what

we were in our sinful condition, but we

should not act this way now.

It is my belief that every person in

FBTA, students and teachers alike, has tak-

en Christ’s sacrifice for granted. I personally

have also forgotten what Christ’s sacrifice

on the cross truly means - because WE were

not good enough, HE had to sacrifice Him-

self.

When Christ was on the cross, He must

have looked down at the crowd and thought

“None of them deserve it”; and yet He con-

tinued through torture for us because He

loves us. This truly is the ultimate sacrifice

one could pay.

Especially now during this Thanksgiving

season, we should continually reflect on

God’s unending mercy towards us. As one

reflects on all there is to give thanks for in

his life, he should be sure he is not forget-

ting the most important thing of which he

has to give thanks, redemption through sac-

rifice.

As Christians, we must understand what

Christ did for us, and we must then, in turn,

do all we can for Him.

Do we go out on visitation every week?

Do we remember to read our Bible every

day? Do we always pay attention when the

Word of God is being presented to us?

If we continually think about the sacri-

fice Christ made for us, we should be able to

answer all the questions with a confident

“Yes!”

Thank God we have an “unfair” God.

College life experienced first-hand Students visit the campuses of Bob Jones and Ambassador by Bethany S, junior

A group of FBTA students had the oppor-

tunity to go on a college trip to Ambas-

sador Baptist College in Shelby, North Caroli-

na, and Bob Jones University in Greenville,

South Carolina during the week of Nov. 8.

“Visiting Christian colleges gives teens the

opportunity to see what Christian colleges are

all about,” said Bro. Mike Barr, youth pastor,

“and it gets them interested in going to a

Christian college and seeing the importance of

it.”

The students were able to attend college

classes and experience dorm life while on the

trip.

“I liked meeting the people in my dorm the

most,” said Alec W, senior, “because they

showed us around the campus which made it

easier to get used to college life.”

“My favorite part about the college trip

was getting to experience college life for a

few days,” said Emmie O, junior, “and visit-

ing colleges helps me decide what college to

attend in the future.”

Being able to see former students of

FBTA that have graduated and are at Bob

Jones and Ambassador now was definitely a

highlight of the week.

“The college trip was a great time to

fellowship with our friends who have al-

ready graduated, and it was good to see that

they are still staying close to the Lord,” said

Kimberly W, senior.

“I liked being able to see Abbe (former

student of FBTA) on the trip, and going to

the different classes [helped] me see what

the academics in college are like,” said

Madison M, freshman.

Although visiting both of the colleges

was the main focus of the trip, the teens

were able to play basketball with each other,

enjoy the late-night trip to Sonic, hang out at

the student center, and also try to make the 8

-hour-long van ride more enjoyable.

Being able to visit Christian colleges is a

great way for the students to plan for the

future. The Christian environment that the

colleges provide helps students grow closer

to the Lord and get a good education at the

same time.

“Christian colleges solidify what Chris-

tian parents have taught their children,” said

Barr, “they help develop a Biblical

worldview, and prepare them to serve God

in every profession.”

The group of teens from FBT stands together on the Bridge of Nations at Bob Jones University. photo by Mrs. S

by Joshua G, senior

I had it first!”

“No, it’s mine!”

This argument is among the many heated

conversations that could be heard early in

the morning on the day after Thanksgiving.

Insanity is one word that comes to mind

when describing this infamous day known

as Black Friday because that is really what it

is like (and even that word might be an un-

derstatement). Thousands upon thousands of

people were present at many stores to get

the best deals that come around during the

holiday season, and I was one of them.

11:00 p.m. — After I found out that

stores such as WalMart and Best Buy were

opening at midnight, it changed my plans

for Black Friday. Normally, I would get up

around 3:30 a.m. and arrive at the Fair

Lakes shopping center around 4:15 a.m. to

wait in those painstakingly long lines. But

this time was different. By 11:00 p.m., I was

out the door and on my way to Fair Lakes,

ready for the madness to begin.

11:30 p.m. — The first store I went to

was WalMart which was strange territory to

me since it was just remodeled to accommo-

date the new grocery section of the store. I

knew where everything was in the old

WalMart store, but the newly-renovated

store was like a whole new store. It was

even difficult to walk in the store because

there were so many people, to the point that

I had to waddle around the store like a pen-

guin. Literally, everything was moved

around so, that I could not find what my

cousin and I were searching for – a laptop.

After asking an extremely-frustrated em-

ployee where we could get tickets to get a

laptop for my cousin, we stood in line for

about 20 minutes which was not too bad

compared to many of the other lines. After

receiving the laptop, we waited in line for

another hour before we could check out and

move on to the next store.

1:00 a.m.— Finally, we moved on to the

next store – Best Buy which was not that

different from WalMart except for the fact

that I knew where everything was. I do have

to say, though, there were not as many peo-

ple in Best Buy as there were in WalMart,

so it was not as much of a challenge to walk

and get around the store. I actually wanted

to get a couple items from Best Buy, which

were really not that hard to find. I got every-

thing I needed, then we waited in line for a

half hour. After we checked out, we were

beat. We wanted to go to the mall, but we

were just too tired.

2:00 a.m. — After arriving at home, I

had a bowl of cereal, got ready for bed, then

as soon as my head hit the pillow of my bed,

I crashed.

That was my Black Friday adventure. If I

had to give any advice for those of you

wanting to participate on this day next year,

it would be to know what you want and get

it as soon as you can because people are

ruthless on Black Friday!

photo by Joshua Ghareeb, senior Clearly, the WalMart in Fair Lakes had an overcrowding problem on Black Friday.

“

P a t r i o t P r e s s , P a g e 2

The beginning of the end has started Another season of basketball has started, but for the seniors, this is their last year

Exhort the Court Ladies . . . start your cheers!

The girls are in an intense scrimmage during basketball practice. photo by Camille G, junior

by Kyle S, junior

T o many of the students at FBTA, sports

are a big deal, especially basketball.

Astronomical amounts of fans, it seems,

come out to watch the games and pump up

the teams. For the seniors of the basketball

teams, these are times that they will not easi-

ly forget, seeing that this is their last year.

They want to make it count.

To many of the seniors, basketball is not

just about getting a sports credit or exercise,

rather, it is a love and a passion that nothing

can break. They dedicate countless hours to

practicing and preparing for their final sea-

son. Practice is not all just hard work,

though.

“This group of seniors makes it enjoya-

ble to come to every practice. Their enthusi-

asm is contagious,” said Mr. Fender, Jr./Sr.

High principal and varsity girls’ basketball

coach.

“It’s kind of sad, but at the same time

I’m excited because I know this is the best

team and we can win!” said Kimberly P,

senior, describing her last season of basket-

ball.

“Man, it almost brings tears to my eyes!”

said Nathaniel T, senior, much more pas-

sionate on the matter.

While the whole team shares in the same

goal of winning the state championship in

their respective leagues, basketball is about

more than just winning.

“Team unity in and out of practice is at

the top of my list. Grow closer to God, and

be more aggressive,” said Nathaniel, ex-

plaining his goals for the season.

Although players go to practice to learn

how to play the game, they learn many other

valuable lessons that will help them

throughout life, such as teamwork, dedica-

tion, and hustle.

“It [basketball] has taught me how to

love and be passionate about something. It

has taught me discipline and teamwork,”

Nathaniel said.

Mr. Fender shared some insight on how

the senior girls have grown throughout their

seasons of playing under him.

“They seem to be more of a unit both on

and off the court, and because of that, they

seem to be playing better,” Mr. Fender said.

For the seniors, basketball is about

achieving greatness, in the form of a cham-

pionship, and leaving it all out on the court,

with no regrets.

by Camille G, junior

S -CA-R-E-D . . . We’ve got ‘em scared

. . . Woooo! Shakin’ in the knee!”

Sound familiar? Well, if it doesn’t, you

are sure to know it soon! You guessed it, it's

that time of year again. Basketball and

cheerleading season has begun!

“I feel excited for cheerleading because I

get to cheer for my friends, and I love to

cheer! It's fun being a happy person on the

court!” said Rabina H, junior, with a smile.

Indeed, being a cheerleader is a great

honor. It is an honor to be able to cheer your

fellow schoolmates on while they give us

their “all” out on the court.

“I just love the home games because so

many people show up and we get to do big

halftimes!” said Vanessa C, junior.

Not only do the cheerleaders all have

great spirit, but there is also an enthusiastic

crowd to back them up. That makes the en-

tire atmosphere in the gym like a giant

cheering crowd.

“I love cheerleading, mostly because of

the halftimes. I'm really excited to do lifts

and cool stunts! The home games are also

super fun,” said Cassie L, sophomore.

Another exciting “behind-the-scenes”

activity the cheerleaders participate in is

something known as the Secret Cheerleaders.

This is where each cheerleader draws the

name of two basketball players and secretly

encourages them throughout the season by

praying for them, and also putting little notes,

candy and treats into their lockers, especially

on game days.

Also, each year, at the beginning of the

season, the cheerleaders each participate in a

contest and make posters to compete for the

year's motto. In the past, the motto winners

have been, “Esteem your team” and “Let’s

hear it for the spirit.” This year, there were

many great motto entries, but one was chosen

and that was (drumroll, please . . . ) “Exhort

the court” turned in by Malissa B, senior.

“I look forward to both the Varsity and JV

squads exemplifying this motto for our Patriot

teams through exhortation, excitement, en-

couragement, and powerful, God-honoring

routines and cheers,” said Mrs. O’Donnell,

cheerleading coach.

So far, the mottos have been a great en-

couragement, both to the team and to the

cheerleaders, alike. All of FBT is looking for-

ward to a great year with the biggest cheer-

leading squad ever! Go Patriots!

The JV cheerleaders show off their pyramid skills. photo by Sarah K, sophomore

The varsity cheerleaders line up to cheer during the starting patriot roll call. photo by Kyle S, junior The JV girls team won their first game against Faith on Thursday, Dec. 1. photo by Sarah K, sophomore

“

P a t r i o t P r e s s , P a g e 3

Big Engagement News

Pilgrims and Indians give thanks Kindergarten through third grade host the annual Thanksgiving Feast by Jenneth D, freshman

T he Kindergarten through 3rd graders

gathered together to ask the Lord’s

blessing on their annual Thanksgiving Feast

on Nov. 18.

Little turkeys, Pilgrims and Indians could

be spotted all over the church auditorium

singing songs and performing the

“Thanksgiving Story,” a drama created by

Mrs. Wieler exclusively for the feast. The

students worked on this huge project for

days, learning memorable poems, songs,

and constructing crafts.

“We colored a picture of the Mayflower,

and we worked on our candy corn project,”

listed Andrew C, 3rd grade.

There were about 200 in attendance, and

each student had their own favorite part

about the feast.

“I like the parts where we sing and act

things out,” said Ashley T, 3rd grade.

“I got to plant corn!” Andrew continued

excitedly. “I got to teach the Pilgrims how to

fish!”

“Food!” shouted Caleb P and Holden Z,

3rd grade, knowing immediately what their

favorite part of the feast was.

The 3rd graders, who got the choice to

be either a Pilgrim or an Indian this year,

even got to design their own tepee as a me-

morial for their final year at the feast, which

will one day be taped to the wall along the

gym with all the other previous classes’

tepees.

“Half the of the class drew fake tepees

on the real tepee. I drew one too,” informed

Holden, with a grin.

Even students that weren’t attending the

feast enjoyed it. Unlike previous years, the

meal was held in the fellowship hall and the

drama in the auditorium. The previous 3rd

graders’ tepees were hung on the walls of

the “Y” for all to look at.

“The tepee sheets from previous years

were a great hit. Many students were look-

ing for their drawings and signature on their

tepee sheet from elementary,” said Mrs.

Wieler, elementary principal and the one

who pulled the feast off.

For those who have soft feelings for tur-

keys, rest assured, there were no turkeys

harmed in the preparation of the feast. Of

course, there was a prepared turkey for the

meal, but no one in particular. There was the

turkey Timmy K, who was chased by Kyle

S brandishing a deadly spear, but thankfully,

nothing drastic occurred to the subject what-

soever.

“It’s very embarrassing but fun,” admit-

ted Timmy K, freshman, truthfully. “It was

easier to run around in the auditorium be-

cause there were no chairs. When I was in

the gym (two years ago), I would trip on,

like, everything.”

Of course, the Thanksgiving Feast could

not be complete without the singing of the

infamous “Grey Squirrel” song, where the

elementary students got to demonstrate the

acts of a squirrel by shaking their “tails”

toward the audience (all too enthusiastical-

ly), then dragging their reluctant parents (or

siblings if their parents simply refuse) into

the spotlight to do it with them.

“It’s definitely not my favorite song—at

all,” commented Mrs. Zakaria, 3rd grade

mother. “My kids love it though. I only wish

my husband was here so he could do it, but

he can’t get off work so I’ve done it for sev-

en years and 12 times. This’ll be my 13th,

but my last year of bushy-tailing!”

“I like all the songs, but ‘Grey Squirrel’

is my favorite,” said Soriya S, 3rd grade,

with a totally different view on the matter.

“My dad did it with me last year, but I al-

ways give him the signal, so I can teach him

how to do it.”

When all is eaten, and all stomachs are

stuffed to the bursting point, happy turkeys,

Pilgrims, and Indians head home with their

parents, having new memories that will last

a lifetime.

by a 4th grade news source

T he fourth grade class of FBTA is excit-

ed to announce the engagement of

Miss Sommerdorf to Mr. Fesdekjian!”

The fourth graders are nothing but proud

and thrilled at the news of the engagement.

Miss Sommerdorf is the much-loved

fourth grade teacher here at FBTA; her kind

personality and infectious smile immediate-

ly won her a place in the children’s hearts.

“She’s a great teacher,” said the fourth

grade class unanimously.

The 4th graders were also quick to thank

Miss Sommerdorf for the “great Thanksgiv-

ing party where we were allowed to eat edi-

ble glue!”

“She is kind and very patient with us,

a quality that benefits us very often,” said

Esther B, 4th grader.

“Mr. Fesdekjian is the lucky man who

won the heart of our Miss Sommerdorf,”

the class said.

He is an alumni and a sports coach at

the school today.

Although the class is happy for the

new couple, they do have some very im-

portant advice to give.

“Miss Sommerdorf, make him break-

fast and coffee in the morning,” Madison

V said.

“Mr. Fesdekjian, take Miss Som-

merdorf on a cruise, and buy her one

thousand dogs,” Sydney T said.

“Miss Sommerdorf, make him smile,”

Esther B said.

“Mr. Fesdekjian, give her Godly ad-

vice,” Logan W said.

“Watch the mushy-goo-goo stuff,”

Joshua B said.

The wedding is planned for April 14,

2012. We all wish Miss Sommerdorf and

Mr. Fesdekjian the very best in their new

lives together, but we are going to need to

practice spelling Miss Sommerdorf’s new

name!”

Mr. Fesdekjian and Miss Sommerdorf in 4th grade (left), and a recent engagement photo at Great Falls, Maryland (above).

Kyle S, junior, madly chases the turkey of interest, Timmy K, freshman.

photo by Hannah K, senior

“

The tepee sheets from the previous years’ classes were strung up along the wall. The 3rd graders get ready for their play.

Mrs. Wieler introduces the 1st and 2nd grade pilgrims to the parents at the Feast. The kindergarten “turkeys” wait quietly in the lunchroom for their turn to be introduced.

P a t r i o t P r e s s , P a g e 4

The Patriot Press is a student-run newspaper of

Fairfax Baptist Temple Academy 6401 Missionary Lane

Fairfax Station, VA 22039 703-323-8100 • FBTministries.org

Advisors: Miss Dyck

Mrs. Dyck

David, Newspaper Editor Hannah, Yearbook Editor

Mackenzie Nate

Jenneth Joshua Camille Cassie

Catherine

Rebecca Michelle Reagan Bethany

Kyle Angelika

Thank you, Madison, for being such an awesome friend. You are always there for me. Love, J.B. I am thankful for my parents. They always know just how far to push me to make me live better for God. Thank you for always being there! Love, Camille. To Mr. Kidd (Dad), Thx for being a cool kid. Your #1 Kidd. Mrs. Pigott, Thank you for all that you do for us and for being the best homeroom teacher ever! We love you! — Senior class of 2012. Miss Roeske, Thank you so much for continually helping us in calculus. WE have already learned so much and we are extremely thankful for you even helping us outside of class. — Joshua G. and Michelle R. Dear Mrs. Probus, Thx for being a great lunchroom supervisor. You always have everything ready, and it all tastes good. Thank you! — Tim. Dear Miss Dyck, the time you’ve invested has not been wasted. Thank you for everything. Love, Cath-erine. Mr. Niggl, Thx for being a great friend and teacher. You are always there for me when I am down. Have a great rest of the school year. — Tim. Dear Mrs. Hawley, Thx for being a great reception-ist. You always help when people are sick or hurt. Keep being cool! — Tim K. Thank you, Mr. Wall, for all of the things you taught us in choir. You are a big encouragement to me. I love music and hope to learn more from you in choir. Thank you again for teaching us music. — Gabby L. Dear Senior Class of 2012, You people are literally the best. I love you all and wish you the best for your futures. — Catherine. Miss Dyck, you’re a gud teacher. U, really make me enjoy gramer. — David B.

I am thankful for my mom. I’m thankful for my dad and J.D., Bryan, and you, God, and friends. Love, Jacob. Dear God, Thank you for sending your Son to die on the cross for us. Thank you for giving us for-giveness. Most of all, thank you for creation. Love, Soriya. Dear God, I am thankful that I can learn your Word every day, and thank you for everything you did for me. I am thankful that you love me so much and I love you too. Love, Savannah. Dear Mom and Dad, Thank you. You are the best parents ever. I love you so much. And you guys are so nice. Love, Isabella. Dear Mrs. Rodriguez, I am thankful you are my teacher this year. You are so nice. Thank you for letting us have time to work. From Selena. Dear Mommy, Thank you for all your sacrifice and faithfulness for serving our family. Thank you that when I wake up early in the morning, you wake up too, to give me breakfast. I love you, Mommy. Love, Emma Z. I’m thankful because I have this friend named Han-nah. She is very nice. She will always be my friend. Love, Angie. Thank you, God, for me, for my friends, you, your Son, heaven, family, my teacher: Mrs. Rodriguez, and my home, and the Bible. — Caleb P. Dear Mrs. Rodriguez, One of the things I like to write about is you. You’re the best. Love, Holden. Dear God and Jesus, I am thankful for the Lord Jesus who died on the cross for everyone. Love, Delaney. Dear Mom, Thank you for making my lunch, tucking me in at night, and washing my clothes. Thank you for doing my hair each day, and buying me toys and clothes, and most of all, thank you for loving and caring for me. I know you make a huge sacrifice. I love you, Julia.

Dear Sharon, thank you for being the best sister ever! Thanks for sometimes making us food and being so nice to us. Love, Priscilla. I am thankful for the Bible, for my Savior and for God creating this wonderful earth. — Andrew. Dear 4th grade girls, Thank you for being my best friends I ever had! Sincerely, Jordan. Dear Mrs. Naylor, Thank you for making school fun this year. It makes you want to go to school; to have fun and learn! — Gabby L. Thank you for taking your time to do the paper. — Riley. I am thankful for my brothers and all they do with me. — Mark B. Dear Mom, Thank you for giving me birth! Love, Leah. I am thankful for my ability to be able to learn at a Christian school. — Amelia. Dear Ben, Thanks for being my best friend, and being there for me. You’ve been a great friend all these years and I hope you grow up to be a Godly Christian man. Your best friend always, Matthew. I would like to thank my parents for being able to provide and care for me. I am thankful to God also for giving my mom a job over the summer. Thank you, God! — Hayden. Thank you, Gabby, for being my special friend — Ben. Dear Mark B., Thank your for everything you do for me. Thank you for being my friend for so long. It is a blessing to have such a good friend like you. I hope you stay close to God for the rest of your life. You mean a lot to me. Thank you. — Ethan. Dear Mom & Dad, I love you so much. You are the BEST parents ever! Thank you for feeding me, loving me, caring and giving me everything. And last, but not least, thank you for leading me to the Lord. Love, Gabriella M.

I would like to thank my friends for being so kind to me and helping me out. I would also like to thank my teacher, Mrs. Naylor, for helping our class understand academics in a fun way, and my par-ents for putting me in a good school. — Bay. To Mom and Dad, Thank you for life, clothes, a house and money. — Enoch P. Dear Mom, Thank you for being so patient, kind and loving. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I love you. Love, Madison V. Dear girls in grade 4, Thank you for being the best friends in the world!! God bless!! Love, Sydney T. I am thankful for my teacher, Miss Sommerdorf, for being such a great teacher this year. I hope you will enjoy me being in your class this year. Love, Esther. Thank you, Andrew, for being such a great friend. You are the best friend ever. From Someone. I am thankful for my best friends Julie and Vanessa. Thank you, guys, for being my friends. — Sarah. Dear Emmie, Thanks for being such a good friend. You are so nice to me. Thanks for standing beside me in hard times! — Andrew B. I am thankful for my parents, friends and salvation — Hart. Dear Jenny, I’m not gonna tell you who this is from, but you are my inspiration. I really miss you be-cause you’re at college, but I really love you and miss you. Love, your sister, Julie. Thank you, Mom, for giving me everything I need and for helping me on my homework, and for the new shoes and video games and much more. XOXOXO Your son, Caleb D. Dear Parents & Grandparents, I thank you for eve-rything you’ve done for me. You’ve been so kind to me. I love you, Grandma, Grandpa, Mom and Dad. Love, J.D.

In Everything Give Thanks

3rd graders pose on the fort at Ticonderoga Farms in Chantilly during their annual fall field trip with the 1st and 2nd graders.

Are you always trying to color on your friend’s folder because you didn’t get one at the

beginning of the year? Well, here’s your chance!